The key to everything was Draymond, though, whether he was defending Leonard on the ball or wreaking havoc off the ball. On paper, Golden State should have lost Game 2. Yet the Warriors used a group effort to pull out the win, and when we eventually look back at this series, this could be the game that was most pivotal for a Warriors three-peat.
Many fans, pundits, and people working in the league like to claim that the Warriors are unbeatable unless the perfect storm of circumstances happen. Game 2 was exactly the situation they’re talking about. The Raptors were at home. Durant still isn’t in uniform. Curry was sick and shot just 6-for-17. Iguodala hobbled in the first half; Looney suffered a left chest contusion and played only 10 minutes; Thompson got hurt in the fourth quarter; Cousins was pushed to his limit for 28 out-of-shape minutes in only his second game back from a serious quad problem. The Warriors won anyway. And now instead of staring down a daunting deficit, they head back to the Bay with the home-court edge.
Through the years, Kerr’s adjustments in the postseason have been the secret sauce of the Warriors’ juggernaut recipe. The players deserve most of the credit for Game 2’s win, as they executed the high ball screens, Cousins played quarterback from the post, and Draymond was seemingly everywhere on defense. Facing adversity on the road with an injured team, however, Kerr and his staff proved pivotal in putting those players in positions to succeed. The coach set the Warriors up, and the Warriors followed through.